Extra Credit
by nightmarezangel
Summary: After being trapped in some strange room, Harry finally tells Hermione how he feels.


Harry looked down the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, but it was no use, she wasn't there. Where could she be? "Hey Ron" he turned to his flame- haired friend who was currently stuffing his mouth with a half a dozen treacle tarts in his mouth. "Slow down!" Ron grinned, promptly exhibiting the contents of his mouth and Harry rolled his eyes. He continued, "Have you seen Hermione?" After muffled words that Harry couldn't understand, Ron swallowed his mouthful and said, "She's where she always is, in the library."  
  
After lunch, Harry decided to ditch Divination to go find Hermione, which didn't take too long. Harry knew Hermione LIVED in the library. "Hey Mione" he whispered, trying not to catch Madam Pince's attention. She looked up, startled. "Oh, hello Harry, and what are you doing here?" she imediately asked in a semi-disapproving tone.  
  
"I was checking on you, seeing if you were still alive, considering you missed lunch."  
  
"Oh no, I did?!" she exclaimed, looking at the huge clock on the wall. "Professor McGonagall had me checking some extra work I had asked for and I lost track of time." Harry was shocked. "You mean to tell me that you don't have enough homework, so you gotta ask for MORE?" Hermione glared at him, punching him playfully. "Oh hush Harry and walk me to my next class, I've got Arithmacy."  
  
They walked down the long corridors, passing only Nearly Headless Nick on the way when they came upon a section of wall that looked out of place. Hermione frowned. "That's odd, I must have walked down this hall at least a dozen times and I've never seen this"  
  
"Yeah, but your nose was probably deep in a book each and every time!" retorted Harry, chuckling.  
  
"Seriously Harry, I wonder-" Her voice trailed off as she pushed on the wall, instantly being pulled into a dark room, Harry in tow, while the wall shut behind them. "Lumos." she muttered, picking herself and her wand up, while brushing herself off. Harry walked around, studying the dusty room with interest. A small desk sat in the center of the room, a rickety chair pulled up to it. A small bed was against the far wall and a large candlestick was placed on the floor next to it. Whoever stayed there must have deserted the place a long time ago, for cobwebs were attached to everything.  
  
"Wow," Harry finally said, "wonder who stayed here."  
  
"Enough about who stayed here" snapped Hermione, "How are we going to get out?" She was pressing on the walls, almost in a panic.  
  
"Calm down Mione, there's probably a switch or a lever somewhere"  
  
After an hour of searching the rather small room, they found nothing and now Hermione stood in front of every wall trying every spell she knew to use on opening doors, to no avail. Not even an Alohamora would help them out. "We're stuck here, FOREVER" she moaned, sinking into the bed. Harry sat down beside her and put his arm around her to comfort her. "It'll be okay Hermione, someone will notice us missing and find us."  
  
The hours dragged on and after a meager dinner of some fruit and tarts that Harry smuggled from lunch into his bag, he let hermione have the bed and he sat in the chair by the desk to stand watch. They had lit the candles and now the room had a soft glow. Harry glanced over at the sleeping form of Hermione before placing his head on his arms, wondering how he was going to get them out of there.  
  
Hermione woke up, startled at the unfamiliar surroundings but suddenly remembered where she was. Oh yeah, I'm stuck in that strange room with Harry At the thought of Harry, she looked at the desk where he had fallen asleep, head still resting on his arms, though his face was lit by candlelight. "Some watchdog" she mused softly as she stared at him. He looks so innocent this way, you would never have known he has saved this school every year he has been here. She got up quietly and stood near him, so tempted to reach out and trace the jagged scar on his pale forehead. The mark of his bravery, the mark of his mother's sacrifice and her love. Before she realized it was more than just a thought, she had reached out and touched his forehed. His eyes slowly opened and she quickly moved her hand as if she was picking something off his robes "Hi." he said, smiling. "Spider." was all she could say, his amazing green eyes staring deep into her own brown ones.  
  
God he's beautiful. she suddenly thought, a tell-tale flush coming to her cheeks as she hoped that it wouldn't show in the candlelight, but too late. Harry smiled. "Penny for your thoughts Mione?"  
  
She stumbled. "Uh..er, nothing. Just was thinking that this must be great compared to all of the other things you have gone though here at Hogwarts." And that you're beautiful her mind betrayed her. He blushed too and she feared that she had said that last bit out loud. "Yeah, this is nothing since I get to spend all this time with you, my best friend" he replied thoughtfully, his eyes twinkling. She looked away, Best friend.... she thought, her heart pounding and she was afraid he would hear it in the deafening silence of the room.  
  
"What time do you think it is?" she asked suddenly, wanting to change the subject and keep her mind from betraying her anymore.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. There's no windows and it's been so quiet, unless there's a Silencing Charm on this room"  
  
When Hermione turned back around, he was still looking at her. Those eyes, they could look right into my soul She sat back down on the bed, her head in her hands miserably. She felt him sit on the bed beside her, but she didn't dare look up, she couldn't. "Mione?" she heard him say softly. She finally looked up and knew it was a mistake as Harry's emerald green eyes melted her. He looked down and took her hand and her heart lept. I'm dreaming, I will wake up and be in the library, with my books  
  
Harry cleared his throat. "You know, at first when I met you on the train going to Hogwarts our first year, you overwhelmed me with how you knew so much and I didn't know what to think...and for a while I thought you were annoying and that you were a know it all..."  
  
"But..." she interrupted and he put a finger over her lips. "Let me finish"  
  
"Now after everything we have been through together with You-Know-Who and all, I have realized just how special you have become to me. When I thought I had lost you to the Basilisk, when you were petrified, I was so lost. When I got bit by it, I thought I would neevr see you again, but here we are, in this strange secret room and I'm sure there's nowhere I rather be....not even the Quidditch field." Hermione blushed fiercely and he smiled. "NOW you can talk."  
  
"Harry, when I first met you, I thought that you were going to be this impossibly arrogant, big-headed great boy wizard wonder and I was disappointed when i found out you knew nothing about wizarding. But I was WRONG Harry, you have proven to me, as well as EVERYONE at Hogwarts that it takes more than good marks, booksmarts or a memorization of the herbs and spells in all of our textbooks to be great. THIS" she put her hand on his chest "Is what makes you great, Harry Potter."  
  
Then he kissed her.  
  
She was afraid at first but then realized This is just Harry, the boy I have been falling in love with and she kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck, his fingers lost in her bushy brown hair. They kissed like that for a while before finally breaking away to look into each other's eyes. "I love you Hermione Granger." Harry whispered and she blushed, her voice trembling as she replied, "I love you too, Harry Potter." Harry felt his heart beat faster than normal and he never knew love, not like this. The Dursleys certainly didn't love him, His parents did and look what happened to them, but the love he felt for Hermione and the love she felt in return was new to him.  
  
They were awoken by Professor Dumbledore some time the next afternoon, both in the same small bed, harry's arms wrapped around Hermione. They both were taken to the hospital wing to be checked over and a satisfied Madam Pompfry let them go to the Great Hall for lunch since they were both ravenous. "So, where WERE you two?" asked neville as they sat down at the table.  
  
"Oh, just some extra credit" harry replied, winking at hermione, who only smiled. 


End file.
